Marketing automation provider Pardot recently upgraded its software to include new search engine optimization (SEO) tools for small business marketers. The cloud-based system now includes features for keyword-based and competitor monitoring.

"Search is a powerful tool for marketers who harness its abilities," said Zach Bailey, vice president of products at Pardot, in a statement. "The key is knowing which data is important, and making it accessible and actionable. Our new SEO tools do that, simplifying marketing for Pardot users."

The keyword monitoring tools are designed to provide greater insight into how well various keywords used in a marketer's content are performing. The tool enables users to track their site's ranking in Google and Bing for the keywords that are important to their businesses. The tool also enables marketers to see the ranking difficulty for each keyword, the average cost per click if they want to bid on the keyword in Google Adwords, and the approximate search volume in Google for an exact query.

Keywords can be compared side-by-side, filtered by tag, or listed according to rank from within Pardot. Selecting a keyword will provide marketers with a complete audit of historical data, as well as current rankings. Users can also elect to receive a weekly report on keyword success via email.

The new competitor monitoring tool allows marketers to see how their SEO ranks against that of their competitors. Users can track key components that influence SEO ranking, including their competitors' Google PageRank, inbound links, and indexed pages. In addition, Pardot stores historical data so marketers can view trends over time, and allows users to see a complete audit of historical data on a competitor's performance. As with the keyword monitoring feature, marketers can opt for weekly email reports with this information.

Pardot's SEO upgrade follows on the heels of Google's plans to incorporate semantic search technology into its search results over the coming months. When asked how this development could affect the effectiveness of keyword-monitoring tools, Bailey had this to say:

"Google's move toward semantic search is great news for marketers and simply reinforces our best-practices inbound marketing recommendations—first, work on developing on-topic, interesting, and authoritative content before worrying about any sort of keyword optimization." Bailey maintains,"It's certainly true that semantic search may change (or add more variety to) the particular keywords or searches prospects are using to reach a site, and Pardot's SEO and Keyword monitoring tools are designed to enable marketers to see those changes and adapt accordingly."